1. Field of the Invention
When stairways having a stringer, risers, treads and blocking are constructed there is frequently a need, and sometimes a code requirement, for a hand rail at one or both sides of the stair for persons to grab when using the stairway. The hand rail is usually attached to one or more posts that are at either or both sides of the stairway. The hand rail should be firm and should be able to resist vertical, horizontal and angular forces that result from the user or other forces that may be applied to the hand rail. The firmness of the hand rail to support forces is dependent upon the attachment between the hand rail to the posts and the attachment of the posts to the stairway or other supports related to the stairway. The present invention relates to the attachment of a rail support post to a stair.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
It is known to attach a rail support post to a stringer along the side of a stair by bolting or nailing the post to the exterior of the stringer. It is also known to fix a support post in the area surrounding the stair without attachment to the stair. These two methods for positioning a post with respect to a stair have minimal strength with respect to the stair.
Known patented or published systems include:
Gibson, U.S. Patent Appl. Publication No. US 2007/0113493 A1 (published May 24, 2007), and Gibson, U.S. Patent Appl. Publication No. US 2007/0017169 A1 (published Jan. 25, 2007), both of which show no structural attachment of a post to a stair, both include anchoring the handrail independent of the stringer, their rail posts are not attached to a stringer, riser strips are not connected to a tread to form a structural “L” shape, and their posts are not structurally attached to the stringer.
Vochatzer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,520 (issued Dec. 1, 1987), does not show a means for rail post attachment, brackets are attached to a tread only, and no “L” shaped structure is shown.
Kennedy, U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,699 (issued May 23, 2006), discloses a post attachment to a steel bleacher—not a wooden stair, attachment of rails is shown on exterior surfaces of a rise or tread, no attachment to a stringer, and posts are not attached by through bolts.
Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,110 B2 (issued Jun. 14, 2005), and Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,697 B1 (issued Nov. 19, 2002), both show a post attachment for a temporary railing, the posts do not attach to outside surface of a stringer, the attachment needs multiple bracket components not one single bracket, the attachment does attach to a rise and tread but needs multiple components for the attachment.
Garber, U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,557 (issued Jul. 16, 1996), does not use a bracket attached against a stringer or attached to a structural “L” shape.
Eyler, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,451 (issued Oct. 10, 1995), shows a rail mounted to the top of a tread only.
None of these known patents address the firm connection of a rail support post to a stair by firmly connecting the rail post against a stair stringer, and connected to a rise, or a tread, and/or block so as to transfer lateral forces applied against the rail support post to shear forces against the internal elements of the stair including at least one of a rise, a tread and/or a blocking structure within the stair.